Key cutting machine



June 30, 1931.

M. FALK KEY CUTTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 30, 1 931. M FALK 1,811,922

KEY CUTTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 www Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES MORRIS FALK, 0F FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS -KEY CUTTING MACHINE l Application led December 5, 192,7. Serial No. 237,603.

kThis invention relates to a machine for cutting keys.

The principal objects of the invention are to combine with a key-cutting machine such as shown in my prior applications, Serial Nos.

184,643, filed April 18, 1927 and 229,831, filedA October 31, 1927, the first of which has become Patent No. 1,750,218 a key cutting device on the same shaft, and a reversible clamp for use in cutting keys of different types; to provide a reversible clamp for holding the blanks of `such a nature suitable for cutting twoentirely different kindsof keys; and to provide the same with mechanism by which the reversal of the clamp Will be simple and expeditious, and with an improved forni of gauge for locating a master key andblank. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan of a combined machine constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is an end view; y Fig.'3 is a sectional view on the line 3-p-3 of F ig. 1 showingthe reversible clamp arrangement in end elevation, and

Fig. 4 is a plan of the latter, showing a blank and master key in position forcutting. The machine involves a base 10 as usual on which are yhead stocks or bearings 11 with a spindle operated by a pulley v12, and having two rotary cutters 13A and 13lr thereon. A The tail stock 14 is adapted to receive a center 15 on which is arranged a guide 16. This is used only when cutting a blankB from a key K.V The guide 16 is designed yto have the saine relation to the key that the cutter does tothe blank. Y

The machine is provided with a shaft 2O extending longitudinally thereof and having upon a screw for adjusting longitudinally a'frame23 which is pivoted o n the shaft 2O to swing from horizontal position, shown especially in Fig. 1, to an Vupright position as'shown in Fig. 2. j

On this frame isa carriage 24 preferably carrying tivo clamps 25, ,although in some cases one of ,these clamps canbe omitted.

These clamps or jaws are screwed down by thumb screws 26 to clamp the blank or the" master key, if that is used, in the same relative positions on the two clamps.

On the front'of this carriage 24 is a` freely turning shaft 27 having tvvo Vgauges 28 there.- on. It is provided with a knurled end 29 .or handle so that it can he turned up and down so'that these gauges .28 can be brought up into contact with the key. Thisshaft is provided with a coiled spring 30 having one end hired to theshaft and the other to the carriage. This automaticallyl moves the gauges out of the way, when not being used. l The blank and key are shifted in the` jaws until they both come into the same relationship with the two gauges28, that is, these gauges are s et up against the saine element on both. Then `the clamps are tightened and` `these gauges turned down to the position shown in F ig. 2 where they are out of the way. As the 7 cutter 13 is rotating constantly, this .cutter will cut a notch in the blank exactly in the desired position. i

I have already statedV that a screw or rack r is ,a part of the lshaft 20. This screw is enf gaged by a nut which is mountedy on the frame 23, and by turning it through the handle 42 the Iframe 23 and Vcarriage 24 will move along the shaft 20 in accordance with the rotation of vthis screw, so as to bring ity to the proper positions to,v space the notches the right dis,- tanc-es apartf In casesw'here'- the key' is lost, the number can be obtained from the lock or otherwise, and used to control Lthe cuts.l For this pur- 5" pose, tvvo discs 34 and 35 are used. They are mounted on shafts. I have shown each disc as being provided-with a series/of perforations as 36 and 37 which arespaced in accordance with the code of. the rmanufacturer of .the key. These codes vare used for spacing the notches of the keys ,and for the depths in cut. Eachmanufacturer has hisown code and of course there is a `separate onefor the spacingY and for the depths. The .code of only one if manufacturer is indicated `on, .the discs. These two discs, it will beunderstood, are detachable and adjustable, but in the useV of the device are stationary. To make `thern readily detachable and'replac'eable each one has "A other ca se.

a radial slot 60 and 61. They are set so that t-he dial mark 0 on cach disc registers with a fixed pointer 38 and 39 respectively. One of these pointers 38 is a clamp held down by a thumb screw 40 which will loosen the pointer to permit removal of and replacement of the disc by others when that is desired or to turn the discs. The other disc is held down by a clamp 62 and thumb screw 63. The clamps 62 and 38 are wider than the slots 60 and 61. The discs are both set at the so-called zero point where the mark is shown, and then these discs can be used from then on to arrange for cutting the keys of the manufacturer whose code. is indicated thereon by the series of perforations.

On the ends of the central shafts are fixed two arms 42 and 41 respectively. On the end of the arm 42 is a spring pin 43 having a head 44 for raising it out of one of the holes in the disc 34, so that this arm can be put in one hole after the other of a certain series. Each time is changed it will move the carriage 24 alon the screw to position the blank in a new place with respect to the cutter 13. This, of course, 'is done when the carriage is drawn back. The arm 41 also has a spring pin 45 operated by a lever 46 extending out over the end of the arm 41. on the disc 35 to move the carriage 24 toward and from the cutter through a cam 56 to which the arm 41 is iixed. The cam 56 cooperates with a rod 53 on the slide. Obviously this will move the slide 24 in and out in the The rod 53 with a spring 58 is used to return the slide and keep the rod 53 always in contact with the cam. The cam is held on the shaft by a thumb nut 66. A pointer 67 is shown on the handle. 46.

It will be seen therefore that the carriage can be drawn back from the cutter b v the arm 41 and then moved along by the arm 42 and the pin 43 put back in another hole in the disc to positively locate the carriage in that respect. Then the arm 41 can he moved along to the next hole desired and the pin 45 allowed to slip into it so that the depth of the cut will be positively controlled. These operations are performed ordinarily when the structure comprising the frame 23-and the carriage 24 is swung back to horizontal position.

In the use of this machine the two blanks are inserted into the two jaws 25 and one of them clamped in position. Gauges 28 are then turned lupwardly so as to engage either the blank or the key and the other one is moved along until that is also engaged in that way and then clamped. The gauges are then turned down. The user does not have to look over the top of the carriage or in behindl the center. Now this frame 23 is turned down s0 that a spring latch 17 comes down into a notch in a rest 18. In this-way the This works in the same way.

frame 23 is positively positioned. The latch 17 is released by a linger hook 19.

On the carriage is a reversible block 71 adapted to be secured in position in a slot either end around by a screw 72. One side 7 3 of the block is cut away. When cutting keys that have wide blades and are cut deep the block has to be placed with the cut-away portion at the front toward the cutter.

In order to adapt the machine for use in accordance with the above description, and also for use for cutting keys from master keys, and provided with means whereby the same machine is adapted to cut keys of quite different characteristics, I have extended the spindle and placed upon it another cutter 13% The base is also extended to provide for this additional capacity for the machine. The frame 83 on this side is. pivoted on the shaft or rod 20 like the frame 23 on the right hand side. It is provided with a carriage 74 on which is centrally swiveled a bar 89. Ou this bar are one or more clamps 75 adapted to be held down on the bar by thumb screws 76 for clamping a master key K and a blank B to be cut.

To space the blank in the right position,

the master key is clamped in one of the clampsy and a slidable rod 79 having two gauges 7 8 on it, is moved to the desired Vpoint and turned up so that one of these gauges comes against a certain' point on the master key. Now the blank is moved in its jaws until it comes to the same position with respect to the other gauge 78, and then the jaw is clamped to hold it. The rod 79 is provided with a spring 80, one end of which is secured in the rod and the other on a stationary part of the frame, thus turning down the gauges to the position shown in Fig. 3, when the handle 7 9 of the rod is released. This rod is made long so as to provide for operating on keys of widely dierent characters. y The. pivoted frame has a forward extension 81. which is adapted to rest on a planed proj ection 82 cast on the base 10 to hold it in hori- Zontal position during the key cutting operation. f

This so-called carriage 74 is slidably mounted on the frame 83 to permit it to be moved for the different cuts. The bar 89 is swiveled thereon on a screw 84 having a thumb head 85 by which it is turned in opposition to a spring 86 to hold the clamps down on thebar 89. The jaws 7 5 are quite different on the two sides, front and back, and

have jaw surfaces on both sides to grip keys of different characters, as for example, different widths.

When it is desired to cut keys suitable for being held in the -jaw shown at the rear in Fig. 3, the screw 84 is released and the whole clamp member 89 turned aroundv180 degrees. This is shown half-way around in dotted and Y bar.

lines in Fig. 4. This presents the other jaws to the front and an entirely different pair of keys are inserted in it and one of them cut in the' manner previously described. This constitutes a simple and convenient way of providing for the cutting of several different kinds of keys in the same machine. In the adjustment no parts are taken off, but they are merely loosened. Therefore, there is nothing that may be lost or displaced in the process. Of course the gauge, being mount*- ed on the carriage 74, will serve for both sets of jaws. s Y

This constitutes a very simple and convenient machine suitable for a wide range of work, and is practically universal in this industry.

Although I have illustrated and described only one form of the invention I am aware of the fact that changes can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as c expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the exact form shown, but what I do claim is l. In a key cutting machine, the combina tion of a rod, a carriage pivotally mounted on the rod, a bar on the carriage, a pair of clamps on the bar, each clamp having front and rear jaws adapted to clamp dierent kinds of keys in position, a pivot between the jaws on the carriage about which the bar is adapted to be reversed to present either pair of jaws to the front`,and means for clamping the jaws down in either position.

2. In a key cutting machine, the combination with avmovable carriage and a cutter, of a bar swiveled on the carriage to swing around an axis normal to the surface of the carriage to reverse its front and rear edges,

and jaws on the bar having diii'erent front and rear clamping surfaces whereby keys of different characters may be held in the jaws presented to the ycutter by reversing the In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature. v

MORRIS FALK. 

